welcome to the 2015 seminar!

This seminar is an introduction to the practice of international courts and arbitral tribunals and their rôle in the development of international law. During the semester we will use lectures, case-studies, and class exercises as teaching methods to outline the evolution and structure of international tribunals, to examine the development of international legal principles by international tribunals using "sources" methodology, and to discuss issues concerning the effectiveness and future rôle of international courts in the development of international law.

The goals of the seminar are to:

1. Introduce students to the historical evolution, structure, and function of international tribunals within the international legal system.
2. Reinforce students' conceptual understanding of the sources of international law and their inter-relationships.
3. Examine selected international legal issues and modes of legal argumentation using class exercises simulating international judicial dispute resolution.
4. Outline issues concerning the effectiveness of international tribunals as dispute resolution mechanisms and their future.